My Dream Bike...18 years later

Back when I was a starving student, the bike I wanted and could not afford was a Rocky Mountain Blizzard. I have never owned one...until now.

A colleague at work told me today that he had a 1994 Blizzard that he has not ridden in years and no longer has space for. He told me that it "needed some love" but that it was mine if I wanted it. And as I never owned one, I am going to take him up on this offer.

The plan is to restore this cutting edge piece of mid 1990s mountain biking techology. I am not the greatest bike mechanic but what better way to learn? Pictures of Project Blizzard to hopefull follow (assuming my work colleague has not come to his senses...). Stay tuned...

Back when I was a starving student, the bike I wanted and could not afford was a Rocky Mountain Blizzard. I have never owned one...until now.

A colleague at work told me today that he had a 1994 Blizzard that he has not ridden in years and no longer has space for. He told me that it "needed some love" but that it was mine if I wanted it. And as I never owned one, I am going to take him up on this offer.

The plan is to restore this cutting edge piece of mid 1990s mountain biking techology. I am not the greatest bike mechanic but what better way to learn? Pictures of Project Blizzard to hopefull follow (assuming my work colleague has not come to his senses...). Stay tuned...

That was my first love to. There is a Hamiltonian on here, by the handle Bagpipes, who is the master of all thing Blizzard. He may, or may not, still frequent mtbr.

Good on ya, Unglued. Good on ya.

"I love being on a bike. It helps me feel free. I get it from my dad", by Guillaume Blanchet

I had a 1992 San Andreas with the rubber buggy baby bumper suspension with 1.5" of travel and the Suspenders inverted elastomer fork. It garnered a lot of attention in those days, and it did smooth out trails in a sproingy sort of fashion. It also sounded like a skate sharpener on Caterpillar tracks on the trail as the floating discs rubbed all the time and the monocoque frame amplified chain noise and everything else. But just about any FS bike I've owned with real shocks and forks actually rode much better.

A 1994 Blizzard would actually be a better buy than a San Andreas that old.

My Rocky Mountain Blizzard was stolen around 1994... I always thought it ended up in Igor's chop shop. What colour is your "new" Blizzard?

cyclicious, I haven't seen the bike yet but as I am getting it from a guy who is over six feet tall, I would be surprised if it was your old bike. Of course, if it is, I will be happy to reunite the two of you...

cyclicious, I haven't seen the bike yet but as I am getting it from a guy who is over six feet tall, I would be surprised if it was your old bike. Of course, if it is, I will be happy to reunite the two of you...

I had a 1992 San Andreas with the rubber buggy baby bumper suspension with 1.5" of travel and the Suspenders inverted elastomer fork. It garnered a lot of attention in those days, and it did smooth out trails in a sproingy sort of fashion. It also sounded like a skate sharpener on Caterpillar tracks on the trail as the floating discs rubbed all the time and the monocoque frame amplified chain noise and everything else. But just about any FS bike I've owned with real shocks and forks actually rode much better.

Sounds like it would still have been better than my CCM Excel from the time.

If we're going to turn this into a throw back lovefest, I'll show my cards.

Although not quite of the same vintage (this was more 97-98) I always had a thing for that Cannondale P3000. You know the one. Team issue blue. Yellow accents including a yellow accordion cover over the headshok. All decked out in XTR.

When I was an undergraduate in Ottawa, a guy came riding by me in Gatineau park on exactly that bike and I ... well... you know...

Cool!
My dream bike was a Richey Commando, I think this was around '87, I used to ogle it over at McBride cycle. I just couldn't afford it though, and settled for a Rockhopper (which was a really good bike, and I was happy with it, I still ride it in the winter).
My next dream bike(yeah 10 years later!) was a Proflex 857 - red with yellow highlights, loved that Girvin fork Couldn't quit afford that one either, and I ended up getting a Cdale SuperV - (what a pogo stick), it now hangs on the wall in the basement.

Side note - there used to be a really cool bike shop that carried the Proflexes and Bontragers among others, it was either on Mt. Pleasant or Bayview above Eglington, anyone remember the name?

Yep. I also remember them being really snobby and unwelcoming. Wonder why they went out of business?

Your post above seems like a self-contained Q&A already! I didn't frequent the shop and so I can't comment on whether your experience was common, but IMHO it's tough sell to build a business model primarily around boutique level products. Not impossible, but certainly difficult. Maybe as more of the populace with solid disposable cash flow keeps shifting from golf to gran fondos, and expanding the cycling culture in Canada that is changing, but 10-20 years ago that would would have been much more challenging.

To the best of my knowledge most other LBS draw heavily on the non-enthusiast segment (casual commuters, family bikes) for revenue including service. The enthusiast customers probably allow them to maintain the "halo" product ranges which give the shop a diversified presence, but in reality I'd guess this upper tier customer group is often more difficult to deal with being regulars that may expect some (reasonable?) discount, savvy on prices, often interested in special order items, know how to shop online sources, can do much of their own labour, etc.

Back when I was a starving student, the bike I wanted and could not afford was a Rocky Mountain Blizzard. I have never owned one...until now.

A colleague at work told me today that he had a 1994 Blizzard that he has not ridden in years and no longer has space for. He told me that it "needed some love" but that it was mine if I wanted it. And as I never owned one, I am going to take him up on this offer.

The plan is to restore this cutting edge piece of mid 1990s mountain biking techology. I am not the greatest bike mechanic but what better way to learn? Pictures of Project Blizzard to hopefull follow (assuming my work colleague has not come to his senses...). Stay tuned...

This is great news. Retrobike UK and the Vintage forum here on MTBR are great places to get info on vintage bikes. Though the guys on Retrobike do tend to take it overboard.

You know how your Dissent is forgiving on the trails? A 90's fully rigid mtb is the exact opposite of that. But fun. I would still rather ride this bike (over any other bike) in the pines at Puslinch - bend it around the trees. In the rocks at Puslinch? Not so much.

Your post above seems like a self-contained Q&A already! I didn't frequent the shop and so I can't comment on whether your experience was common, but IMHO it's tough sell to ...
... know how to shop online sources, can do much of their own labour, etc.

I think a lot have closed over the years, Peddler at Avenue & Davenport (I met bike snobbery there - although not from the mechanics) Bloor cycle, McBride as mentioned. A really cool shop on the Danforth that carried Intense, others. The only ones that I've dealt with over the last 25 years that are still around are Dukes and Silent Sports(I am sure there are others, I've just never dealt with them).

Hey, a sprawling nostalgic thread never hurt anyone. Just to circle back around, one of my best riding buds back in ON had a lovely Blizzard, white with a bit of blue droplets in the paint IIRC for a snow/ice Blizzard effect. Along with the rigid fork of course, and mix of vintage Syncros parts It even had a u-brake in the rear! That bike was passed along still in near mint condition to one of his friends who brought it out to ride laps for Albion Hills 24hr events up to very recently.